Watching Roku’s AI channel is like eating from a trough
The appeal of free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) channels has always been the way they make it easier to (re)discover classic films and series. But Roku's latest experiment in the FAST space has less to do with traditionally produced entertainment and is entirely focused on giving viewers access to a constant source of AI-generated content. This week, Roku added four new channels to its library of streamable programming. Along with dedicated feeds for old episodes of
Get smart on it
Roku has added a new streaming channel featuring AI-generated content from a startup called Fairground. The channel streams 24/7 programming made entirely by AI models, operating like other free ad-supported streaming channels but without curated choice over what viewers watch. The content consists of short-form AI-generated videos that lack visual polish and appear cobbled together from machine-generated clips, though some have semi-cohesive narratives. This move reflects how some AI companies are pursuing a business model centered on producing lower-quality background content rather than trying to match traditional entertainment production quality.
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